It has been very sad to learn about the sudden passing of a great French feminist, Maryse Guerlais on October 27, 2007. Since 1980 Maryse Guerlais wanted to create a Space which would permit women’s groups to have a place to meet in the western part of France. Her project has been since then a great success and the Espace Simone de Beauvoir (The Simone de Beauvoir Center) is a reference all over the country.

This place, which just celebrated it 15^th birthday, is located 25 quai de Versailles in the city of Nantes, a very dynamic region by the Atlantic shore. 32 women’s groups have joined the Espace which has a cafeteria, a library, and meeting rooms. It offers counselling to women in many areas. It is also a place which carefully watches the defense and development of women’s rights in France. There are many evenings where women writers, painters, singers and others are invited. Our deepest gratitude to Mary’s impressive contribution to women’s issues in France.

While I was recently a Visitor’s Director at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, USA, I spent a day with the dynamic group of women academics of the gender studies and political science departments of Rutgers University.

As a friend of Simone de Beauvoir and a writer on women’s issues, I am very sensitive to books published on feminist theory and activism and I am always eager to find writings which can provide both a global view and energy to all women in their feminist activities.

This is why I would like to highly recommend you to read Globalization & Feminist Activism (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2006), written by Mary Hawkesworth, professor of women’s and gender studies and political science in New Brunswick, which I found one of the most inspiring book in our understanding of past and present women’s issues.

Professor Mary Hawkesworth had declared at the publication of her book: “The literature never mentions women or feminism. If women are mentioned, they are relegated to the domestic sidelines.There’s a long history in political science and sociology: What men do matters. It’s a screening out; the analytical lens obliterates women. It’s a form of myopia.”

In her book, Hawkesworth explores globalization from a feminist perspective and relates transnational feminist efforts to overcome social, economic, and political inequalities from the 15th century. She also gives very valuable perspectives for the XXIth century and therefore for the present and the future of women’s issues in the context of globalization.

If I may add here a suggestion, it seems to me that this book could be used for students in women and gender and political studies as a basis for discussion and for writing papers.

Enjoy reading it !

I have the pleasure to inform you that I will be speaking at the Swedish Cultural Center in Paris on January 8, 2008, at 7:30 pm on Simone de Beauvoir, for the opening of the celebration of the events in honor of the hundreth anniversary of her birth.

It will be an occasion to exchange views with the Swedish writer Asa Moberg on her book on Florence Nightingale. The evening will be called “two women, two centuries”, and the question will be: why does Simone de Beauvoir does not mention Florence Nightingale in “The Second Sex”?

You are welcome to join us!